The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-01-08
HOMES OF THE ANCIENTS.
Recent Exploration Along the Colorado
Three Story Stone uounes

Recent Exploration Along the Colorado
-Three-story stone Houses
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
Jas. Stevenson, OF the United
States Geological Survey, has Just re-
turned to Washington after an alb.
sence of several months in Northern
Arizona, New Mexico AMI Southern
California, making geologic aud ethnoI-
ogic researches in connection with
] that bureau. Mr.. S -eyengon's ex.
plorations in former years were among
the various Pueblo Indian tribes. ana
the ancient cliff and cave dwellings
| along the tributaries OF the Rio San
! Juan ana other streams flowing into
! the Rio Colorado. These streams
! How through the regions within South
I'm Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
and Utah. In these regions some OF
| the most interesting arcbaoogic re-
mains are to be found. These remains
are so thick y scattered over that
country, and comprise so many differ
| ent kinds, that It would be impos
sible TO refer to them in detail in one
| brief article. Enough can be said,
! however, to show that no country in
| the world can surpaas the southwest
ern territories OF the United States III
richness in arch@ologic data. Among
| the classes OF d wellings are the "cliff, +"
| those dwellings built in great excava-
lions high up IN the sides OF canyon
walls, the cavities for which have been
carved out by geological and climatic
influences, and the faces or fronts
| built up artiticially in masonry. The
| cave" dwellings are those which have
been carved out artifaially along the
| faces OF bluffs just large enough to ar
commod4te one family each There
are two other classes, the agricultural
| and pastoral. The former are those
| which were located in valleys, along
streams, and about which are found
| implements and other evidences OF
! aboriginal agriculture. The latter are
| somewhat similar, ont more scatter
/ ing and Indicate that they were only
occupied by berders.
| Mr. Stevenson's researches this
| season resulted in the discovery OF
| several ancient villages, one OF which
| IL located on the Little Colorado. The
village extends over an area Of three
miles. Many of the houses stand two
and three stories high, built OF square
| flat stones laid in mortar Several OF
| the larger buildings, forming one
group, are situated along the banks Of
q small canpon This canyon present.
ed many evidences OF the handiwOrk Of
| the aborigines who inhabited the
| dwellings along its banks. Ia the
| walls Of this canyon are many small
inches and cavities which had been
walled up, leaving only q small
aperture through which to place small
| articles. The plaster, some OF which
the party dug ont, still retains the
| finger marks ard Impressions OF the
masons who built them These little
| bins must have been for the purpose
OF storing wild seeds and grain, for
| such We're all they contained. Agri-
| culture IN the sense as now un-
| derstood was unknown to these
! people the domescication Of
OF animals was also unknown to
them Away from this group Of dwell
ings, up the canyon for several miles,
were found houses and corrals Of vs.
| rioas shapes and sizes. Surrounding
| this village is series OF volcanic hills
or knOlls from fifty to 800 feet in
height. On the summit Of each was
found either round Or octagonsl-
! shaped tower or ratification This
was evidently the object from the fact
that only one entrance wss found to
any OF them, snd they were in ell
cases furnished with portfolios about
breast high, and were seldom so con
| structed inside as to indicate perman-
ent dwellings. 1t was quite impos-
sible to conjecture the age Of this viii
lage, and none OF the Indians now in
habiting that country could eniighten
the explorers on the subject. They
| only refer TO them as the homes OF the
anCients Thorough examinations
and a complete survey were made, all
OF which will appear In the report OF
the Bureau OF Ethnologv.